Tesla announced the redesigned Roadster at its October 15 event, demonstrating its capabilities with a dramatic stunt where the car drove upside-down on a suction rig and landed using rocket boosters. The new sports car is targeting a 2028 production window and will cost $250,000 to reserve the "Thrust" trim level with cold-gas thrusters. "We enter production in 2028," Elon Musk said during the event, adding "Actually, for real."
This announcement marks another delay for the second-generation Roadster, which was first unveiled in November 2017 with a promised 2020 release. The vehicle has faced years of delays, slipping from 2020 to 2022, then 2023, and now 2028. The project has been further complicated by Elon Musk's tumultuous tenure at Tesla and his role leading the Department of Government Efficiency, which sparked global protests against the company.
The original Roadster, released in 2008, was a milestone for Tesla, achieving 244 miles on a charge. The redesigned version aims to be "a hardcore smackdown to gasoline cars" with advanced electric vehicle technology, but persistent delays have left many questioning whether it will ever reach production.
Source: Engadget · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing